FM: Harrogate - Will they hit the Ceiling?

[Eaglesfan27]

March 1st, 2008 -

We are currently in 1st place by 4 points. Today we travel to play Shrewsbury which is in 18th place. 3 of Shrewsbury's best players are injured including centreback Jason Talbot, midfielder Jamie tolley, and striker John Grant who has been leading the team with 11 goals. Keeper Neil Thomas will need to have a great game if they are going to beat us. Of course, I hope this doesn't happen. The main scoring threat will be striker Luke Rodgers. Midfielder Thomas Spurr will have to have step up for them in the midfield.

We beat them 3-0 at home earlier in the year.

We are even odds favorites

It's sunny with temperatures in the mid 50's today.

GK: O'Connor
DL: Barnard
DC: McShane
DC: Wall
DR: Morley
ML: Wright
MC: Mannix
MR: Collett
AMC: Kelly
SC: Barker
SC: Palmer

S1: Scarsella
S2: Baker
S3: Kennedy
S4: Seyi Morgan
S5: Barnett

[Eaglesfan27]

2 minute mark: O'Connor saves a nice header by Burns after a corner kick.

9 minute mark: Moss trips Kelly just outside of the box.. yellow card for Darren Moss. Collett kicks the ensuing free kick over the bar.

11 minute mark: Collett gets a yellow card for a trip on Spurr.

19 minute mark: Street gets the ball just outside the box.. unleashes a powerful shot towards the upper left corner.. O'Connor runs.. dives.. tips it over the bar.. brilliant save.

25 minute mark: Luke Rodgers get a yellow card for tripping Palmer.

26 minute mark: McShane gets a yellow card for a trip on Spurr.

36 minute mark: David Edwards get a yellow card for pulling Barker's jersey.

44 minute mark: Palmer with a nice cross to Wright.. he shoots.. nice save by the keeper.

Halftime: 0-0. Their defense is doing a nice job of shutting us down.

46 minute mark: collett sends the ball down the right side line.. Palmer with a great cross to Barker by the left post.. Barker heads it.. past the keeper.. barely over the bar.

54 minute mark: Mannix sends it to Barker.. Barker immediately passes it to Kelly.. nice pass between two defenders.. Kelly shoots.. nice block by the keeper.. Barker gets to it.. passes to Collett.. he shoots.. upper right corner.. just over the bar.

60 minute mark: Palmer gets it on the right wing.. good pass to Kelly.. he is alone with the keeper.. he fakes him out.. about to score.. whistle.. Kelly was offsides

68 minute mark: morley with a nice header to turn away the offense.. gets it to Kelly at midfield.. he dribbles down the field.. between two defenders.. around a third.. into the box.. he shoots.. lower right corner.. barely wide right.

I sub out Collett for Barnett. I also sub in Seyi Morgan for Barker as well as Baker for Palmer (I accidently put him in, I meant to put Kennedy in but confirmed it without noticing my mistake.)

75 minute mark: McShane gets a yellow card for a trip on Odubade.. that is his second.. he is out of here

Well my accidently sub works out ok as I need to move Barnett back to DC, and I can move Baker to right wing which he does play well.

83 minute mark: Wall gets a yellow card for holding Odubade's jersey.

85 minute mark: O'Connor with a truly amazing save as our defense let them cross it twice before Street tried to head it in the goal.. Great play by O'Connor to remain in position.

88 minute mark: Liam Barns gets a yellow card for a trip on Baker.

91 minute mark: O'Connor saves a shot by Odubade from 20 yards.

92 minute mark: O'Connor saves an Edwards header.

93 minute mark: Wright is hurt, but the opposition keeps pressing the attack.. our defenders turn them away several times.. finally the whistle blows..

Game over. 0-0 tie.

We outshot them 11-10 (but they led us 7-4 on goal)

Wright wins MoM, 26 of 37 passes, 7 of 7 tackles, 1 of 2 headers, 6 interceptions, 2 runs, 3 fouls drawn.

[Eaglesfan27]

March 4, 2008 -

David Morley and Andrew Wright were both selected to the English League 2 team of the week.

[Eaglesfan27]

March 4, 2008 -

We are currently in 1st place (by 2 points) and we are hosting Wrexham today. Wrexham is currently in 15th place. Their main consistent players right now are midfielder Paul Mitchell who has 8 goals and is a playmaker, Left fullback ALex Smith who is key to the defense, and keeper Brad Jones who is playing very well in goal right now. Striker Hector Sam leads the team with 11 goals.


We beat them 4-1 earlier in the year at their place.


We are 5-4 favorites.


It's raining with temperatures in the mid 40's today.

Injured players include: Wright, Moore, Palmer, and Smyth. McShane is suspended as well.


GK: O'Connor
DL: Barnard
DC: Craig Morgan
DC: Wall
DR: Onuoha
ML: Baker
MC: Mannix
MR: Collett
AMC: Mulligan (giving Kelly some rest since this game is only 3 days after the last one.)
SC: Barker
SC: Kennedy

S1: Scarsella
S2: Davies
S3: Morley
S4: Seyi Morgan
S5: Barnett

[Eaglesfan27]

1st minute: O'connor stops a point blank shot by Sam.

2 minute mark: Free kick.. Mannix kicks it to Wall.. Wall with a quick powerful shot.. nice save by the keeper.

8 minute mark: Mulligan gets it at midfield.. plays a perfect through ball Barker gets to it.. the keeper backpedals.. Barker shoots.. the keeper manages to block it.. the defense clears it.. very nice save.

19 minute mark: Mulligan goes down in the box.. whistle.. he's called for diving.. Yellow card for Mulligan.

22 minute mark: Collett get sht eball at midfield.. passes it to Mulligan.. Mulligan dribbles between two defenders into the box.. just the keeper in front of him now.. he shoots.. lower left corner.. it's past the keeper.. just inside the goal post.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.

26 minute mark: Onouha with a nice clearance.

27 minute mark: Sam gets the ball inside our box.. shoots.. past O'Connor.. it hits the crossbar.. Wall clears the rebound.. passes it to Collett.. Collett with a quick pass to Barker.. he is alone in the box.. shoots for the lower right corner.. the keeper partially blocks it.. but it keeps rolling.. across the goalline!! GOAL!!!! 2-0.

45 minute mark: Baker steals it at midfeilder along the left win.. passes it to Mulligan outside the box.. he passes it to Barker who is also just outside the box.. Barker shoots from 22 yards.. over the keeper's right shoulder.. into the net.. GOAL!!! 3-0

Halftime: Up 3-0.

48 minute mark: Onouha with a nice clearance of a pass that was heading into the box.

51 minute mark: Mulligan has his shirt pulled by Lawrence.. yellow card for Lawrence.

58 minute mark: Barnard gets called for a tackle on Sam in the box.. the ref awards them a penalty. Paul Mitchell steps up.. shoots.. to O'Connor's left.. he runs.. dives.. blocks it beautifully.. Barnard races to the rebound.. tries to clear it.. the opposition stops him.. O'Connor collects the resulting rebound.

63 minute mark: Barker is exhausted so I can't allow him to keep trying for the hattrick. Kennedy is also tired. I put Seyi Morgan in for Barker, Davies for Kennedy.. but I move Mulligan to Striker and put Davies at the AMC spot. Finally, Baker is slightly hurt, and I put in Barnett for him.

70 minute mark: O'connor with a great save of a close range shot by Sam.

79 minute mark: Dennis Lawrence trips Davies.. yellow card.. that is his second. Lawrence is ejected.


Game over. 3-0 win for us. Everyone on the team played well this game.

We outshot them 18-10 (9-4 on goal)

Mulligan, Mannix, Kennedy, and Barker all had 9's for form. Mulligan wins MoM, 16 of 19 passes, 2 of 2 tackles, 3 of 5 headers, 2 interceptions, 5 runs, 1 assist, 1 goal.

[Eaglesfan27]

Well, the computer just froze.. while I was saving

Loading FM now.. hoping my save game didn't get corrupted

I only played for an hour or so this session too.

[Eaglesfan27]

Well it didn't save after that last game, but at least nothing looks corrupted either. I need to rotate save slots more frequently.. *whew* (I'm saving before and after every game now, but have used the same slot for about a month of game time.)

[daedalus]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

Sutton accepted my offer, but I apparently did not have quite enough money to pay for his transfer. How embarassing.

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

Boston Uniton just signed striker John Sutton as I could never re-work a deal that would fit in my remaining transfer budget. I think he is going to be a very talented player and they just made a great signing.

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

72 minute mark: Bond gets it on the left wing.. dribbles up the left side of the field.. centers for Sutton who gets it in the middle of the box.. he shoots.. lower right corner.. O'Connor dives.. can't get to it.. GOAL. Down 1-0.

The irony! The pain!

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by daedalus

The irony! The pain!

Darn it. I hadn't even noticed this until you brought it up

[Eaglesfan27]

March 4th, 2008 -

Here is the replay (due to the freeze.) Everything is the same on my end. Hopefully, it goes as well as last time.

4 minute mark: O'Connor with a save of a shot by Sam from 15 yards.

10 minute mark: Smith gets it to Feeney on a direct kick.. Feeney shoots.. lower left corner.. nice shot.. it's past O'Connor.. GOAL. Down 1-0.

14 minute mark: Mulligan gets it at midfield.. passes to Barker.. Barker shoots.. nice save by the keeper.

17 minute mark: Barker is tripped by Lawrence.. yellow card.

23 minute mark: Mark Jones trips Barker after Kennedy makes a perfect pass to him.. yellow card for Jones.

25 minute mark: Feeney injures Craig Morgan.. he thinks he can keep playing as he shakes it off. The physio is going to keep an eye on him.

37 minute mark: Barnard gets a yello wcard for a trip on Feeney.

45 minute mark: Baker with a nice pass ot Barker in the box.. Barker shoots.. the keeper blocks it.

Halftime: Down 1-0.

46 minute mark: Mulligan steals it inside the opposition's half.. great pass between the two centrebacks to Barker.. he dribbles into the box.. fakes right.. dribbles left.. shoots.. lower left corner.. past the keeper.. just inside the goalpost! GOAL!!!! 1-1.

49 minute mark: Barker is tackled by Feeney inside the box.. penalty awarded! Yellow card for Feeney. My assistant recommends that I allow Mulligan to take it.. he steps up.. shoots.. to the left of the keeper.. the keeper dives.. it's past him! GOAL!!!! 2-1 us.

60 minute mark: Barker gets a yellow card for arguing an offside call.

63 minute mark: Wall blocks a shot by Sam.

65 minute mark: Collett gets it on the right wing from Wall.. passes it to Mulligan in the box.. Mulligan shoots for the upper left corner.. the keeper partially blocks it.. it keeps rolling.. into the net! GOAL!!! 3-1. That is Mulligan's second.

I sub off Barnard for Barnett due to Barnard's yellow flag. For the same reason, I sub in Seyi Morgan for Barker.

92 minute mark: O'Connor with a nice save of a shot by Gray.



Game over 3-1 win. Not the exact same result, but a good game all the same.

We outshot them 13-10 (8-3 on goal)

Mulligan won MoM, 15 of 21 passes, 0 of 0 tackles, 0 of 2 headers, 1 interception, 2 runs, 1 assist, 2 goals. I think the AMC spot suits him and he will be a good player to rotate with Kelly, so that Kelly can be fresher when he plays.

[Eaglesfan27]

March 5, 2008 -

Arsenal beat Dinamo Kiev 5-3 on aggregate in the 1st knockout round of the European Champions Cup.

Chelsea lost to Olympiakos 1-1 on away goals.

Juventus beat FC Bayern 3-1.

Liverpool beat Sevilla 5-3.

Marseille beat Panathinaikos 4-2.

Milan beat Real Madrid 2-1.

Rangers beat Porto 3-2.

Valencia beat GAK 2-0.

I'm shocked to have seen Manchester Utd lose in the group round. Maybe I'll get a chance to manage there one day after all..

[Eaglesfan27]

March 8th, 2008 -

We are currently in 1st place by 2 points with 9 games to go. Today we travel to play Scarborough which is currently in 23rd place and appears certain to be relegated. Scarborough is being led by centreback Colin Cryan who is playing very well. Centreback Steve Baker has also been playing well, but he is injured for this game. The defense is decent, but their offense has been completely anemic. Striker Steve Burton is the leading scorer with 4 goals. Keeper Gareth Downey has played bad this year, and he has been benched in favor of Brian Murphy who isn't playing great, but is doing better.

Mark Smyth has returned to being healthy again!

We beat them earlier in the year 2-0.

We are 6-4 favorites.

It's sunny with temperatures in high 40's today.

GK: O'Connor
DL: Barnard
DC: McShane
DC: Wall
DR: Morley
ML: Baker
MC: Mannix
MR: Collett
AMC: Kelly
SC: Barker
SC: Palmer

S1: Scarsella
S2: Davies
S3: Kennedy
S4: Seyi Morgan
S5: Barnett

[Eaglesfan27]

5 minute mark: O'Connor makes a save.. passes it to Kelly at midfield.. Kelly with a great pass to Palmer just outside the box.. he dribbles into the box.. shoots.. the keeper saves it.

15 minute mark: Kerr gets a yellow card for a trip on Baker.

20 minute mark: Burton gets a great cross pass.. 5 yards from the goal.. shoots.. amazing save by O'Connor!

21 minute mark: Wall gets a yellow card for elbowing Burton. Palmer argues the call.. he gets a warning.

34 minute mark: Barker gets it at midfield.. dribbles down the pitch.... into the box.. passes to Mannix who has joined the attack.. Mannix shoots for the lower right corner.. the keeper dives.. saves it.

40 minute mark: Mannix intercepts it at midfield.. plays a perfect through ball into the box.. Barker and the keeper are racing to it.. Barker beats the keeper to it.. dribbles to his right.. around the keeper.. shoots it into the open net! GOAL!!!! 1-0.

Halftime: Up 1-0.

49 minute mark: Tyrone Thompson bodychecks Mannix.. Mannix is hurt bad. He has to come off. I put Barnett on for him. I also note that Wall has a poor rating by our coaches right now.. I'll be watching him closely.

71 minute mark: Kelly is exhausted. I put on Davies for him. Wall is playing better the second half, so I let him keep playing.

82 minute mark: Baker intercepts it at midfield.. plays a through ball into the box.. Barker and the keeper race to it.. the keeper gets there first just as Barker is about to get there.. he bobbles it! Barker kicks it immediately as it hits the ground.. GOAL!!!! 2-0.

88 minute mark: Collett with a long pass from our zone into the box.. the keeper and davies both get to itat the same time.. Davies kicks it.. the keeper blocks it.. Davies gets the immediate rebound.. shoots around the keeper.. a defender tries to block it, but it deflects off the defender into the goal!!!! 3-0

Game over. 3-0 Win!

We outshot them 19-7 (10-3 on goal)

Tom Baker wins MoM, 19 of 28 passes, 1 of 2 tackles, 1 of 1 headers, 2 interceptions, 1 run, 1 assist.

Every starter had an 8 for form or higher! (Including Wall who had a 5 at halftime)

Collett, Baker, and Barker each had 9's for form.

I decide to praise Collett to the media after the match.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

The Physio informs me that Mark Barnard needs a rest.

Moor Green have secured relegation from the English Conference National Today.

Mr. Fotherby is thrilled with our win over Scarborough.

Blackpool have signed Anthony Elding from Stevenage for 360,000 dollars. From what I've heard of Elding, I think they overpaid a bit.

[Eaglesfan27]

March 11, 2008 -

Gary Mulligan was selected to the English League Two Team of the Week.

[Eaglesfan27]

March 15th, 2008 -

That jerk! Brighton's manager David Platt has just told the media that he thinks my team is overrated, and that he is quite confident that his team will beat us today!

Doesn't he know that I was offered that job before him?

I decide to call a reporter up and release this comment:

Morale in our dressing room is extremely high, and we fear no-one.

Platt shouldn't even bother trying these mind-games in the build-up to the match as it would not have any effect on my team.

[Eaglesfan27]

Mar. 15, 2008 -

Today we travel to play Brighton who are currently in 4th place. We are in 1st place by 5 points, and we have secured at least a playoff spot with 8 games to go. Brighton have many talented players. Left winger Albert Jarrett is a supreme setup man. Right wingers Jon Paul McGovern is almost as good. Centreback Danny Cullip is very good at shutting down opposing strikers. Striker's Jason Robinson and Andy Smith both have 9 goals and they are quite good. Midfielder Dean Hammond also has 9 goals. Keeper Ben Alexander is quite talented and is hard to beat.


We beat them at home 1-0 earlier in the year.

Benjamin Collett, Wright, Wall, all came up to me before the match and said they are proud of me, and of the team. Platt's comments and my reply has them fired up and they are going to make sure we win today.

They are 1-3 favorites!

It's sunny with temperatures in the high 50's.

GK: O'Connor
DL: Barnett
DC: McShane
DC: Wall
DR: Morley
ML: Wright
MC: Mannix
MR: Collett
AMC: Mulligan
SC: Barker
SC: Kennedy

S1: Scarsella
S2: Davies
S3: smyth (I'm going to work him back in slowly after being out a month. If we get a good lead, I'll sub him into the game)
S4: Seyi Morgan
S5: Craig Morgan

[Eaglesfan27]

1st minute: O'Connor stops a strong shot by Andy Smith from 20 yards.

18 minute mark: McShane and Smith collide. Andy Smith is hurt, but will try to keep playing.

22 minute mark: Wright crosses for Barker by the near post.. he heads it.. barely over the bar.

29 minute mark: Cullip with a nice header to send away a cross from Collett.

31 minute mark: Jarrett gets whistled for pulling Collett's jersey.. Andy Smith argues the call.. yellow card for Smith.

Brighton's forward look timid after that early hit from McShane on Smith.. McShane and Wall are dominating any passes into our zone now.

40 minute mark: Wall with a long pass to Kennedy who is wide open.. whistle.. offside call for Kennedy.

Halftime: 0-0. Nice crowd of 7,766 fans at the stadium today.

54 minute mark: Mannix passes it to Barker.. Barker shoots form 15 yards out... nice shot.. good save by Alexander.

65 minute mark: Mulligan is tired. I sub in Davies for him.

80 minute mark: Kennedy is tired. I decide to move Barker over to the other forward slot, and put Smyth on the pitch.

88 minute mark: O'Connor with a nice save of a shot by Hammond from 20 yards out.

Game over. 0-0 tie.

They outshot us 9-3 (3-1 on goal)

Morley wins MoM, 19 of 29 passes, 4 of 5 tackles, 8 of 10 headers, 10 interceptions.

[Eaglesfan27]

Mar. 16, 2008 -

WTF!?! Platt states after the game that in the wake of his victory over Harrogate Town, he feels that his team's morale is very high and that his side fears no-one. He warns me not to try playing any more mind games.

When did a tie become a victory for his side?

[Eaglesfan27]

March 16, 2008 -

I decided to reply to his comments as follos:

I'm completely unaffected by Platt's showy comments.

I'm quite satisfied with the effort shown by my players in that last game, and feel they are playing very well.

The press commented that I'm taking the high road by choosing not to go down the path of talking about my opposite number's team, preferring to concentrate on affairs at Wetherby Road instead.

[Eaglesfan27]

Mar. 22, 2008 -

We are in 1st place by 5 points with 7 games to go. Today we play the 2nd place Barnsley team on our pitch. Our current record is 25-8-6 and we have 83 points on the season. Barnsley has a record of 24-6-9 with 78 points. Our goal differential of +40 leads the league. Barnsley has sold a few of their better players but they still have a talented team. However, both of their star strikers are hurt for this game! Mark Burchill is out with a dislocated shoulder, but should be back within a week. He has been a big cog for them with 22 goals on the year. Striker Barry Conlon is also out injured with a dislocated jaw. He will be back in about a week as well. He has 14 goals on the year. Over 80% of their offense is missing with these two players being out. Dale Tonge will provide some good plays for them from the right wing position. Midfielder/centreback Antony Kay has played poorly lately, and there is speculation he won't play today. Left winger Michael Boulding is demanding to be transferred and he might not play today either. Keeper John Ruddy is an average keeper, and I like our chances to win this one with him in net and the team missing their star players.

We beat them 1-0 on the road earlier in the year.

They are 4-7 favorites. When will the "experts" start giving us some respect?

It's going to be overcast with temperatures in the mid 40's.

GK: O'Connor
DL: Barnard
DC: McShane
DC: Wall
DR: Black
ML: Wright
MC: Mannix
MR: Collett
AMC: Kelly
SC: Barker
SC: Palmer

S1: Scarsella
S2: Davies
S3: Smyth
S4: Seyi Morgan
S5: Barnett

[Eaglesfan27]

15 minute mark: Mannix with a nice pass into the box.. Kelly gets to it.. dribbles to his left.. Ruddy backpedals.. maintains position.. Kelly shoots.. Ruddy blocks it. Very nice save by the keeper.

33 minute mark: Palmer is called for being offside.. he argues the call.. yellow flag for Palmer.

34 minute mark: Mannix passes it to Palmer in the right corner of the pitch.. Palmer centers.. right to Kelly in the middle of the box.. he shoots.. lower right corner.. great save by Ruddy!

45 minute mark: Wright gets a yellow card for a trip on Wroe.

Halftime: 0-0 tie. We have an announced crowd of 3784 fans at this home game. I do believe that is a record.

49 minute mark: o'Connor barely tips a shot from Wroe over the bar.

Barnard clears the ensuing corner.

51 minute mark: Palmer gets it just outside the box.. passes back to Collett.. who immediately passes it to Palmer who has moved closer to the net.. Palmer settles it.. turns.. shoots from 15 yards.. hard angled shot.. towards the upper left corner.. it's past the keeper.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.

61 minute mark: Seyi Morgan on for Palmer. Barnett on for Black. Both due to the yellow cards and fatigue.

81 minute mark: tonge gets it in teh box... shoots.. O'Connor dives to his right.. catches it! nice save.

82 minute mark: Nice tackle by McShane.



Game over! 1-0 win! That will give us an 8 point lead with 6 games to go (I think)

We outshot them 11-10 (7-2 on goal)

Collett wins MoM, 30 of 39 passes, 0 of 1 tackles, 0 of 2 headers, 8 interceptions, 2 runs, 3 fouls drawn, 1 assist. 10 for form! Interestingly, Kelly had a bad game with a 6 for form. Barnard also had a bad game with a 5 for form.

[Eaglesfan27]

Thank goodness! My computer froze again, but it was after it was done saving my Barnsley results

I've learned not to type or do anything on FOFC until it is done saving, and that might be the trick. For whatever reason, my computer only seems to freeze when I'm typing on FOFC. Of course, that could be just wild coincidence.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

We did set a new team record with 3,784 fans at the Barnsley game.

Barnsley have finally named a new manager as Dean Austin will leave Farnborough immediately to take over at Barnsley.

We are now 8 points ahead of the 2 teams tied for second (Barnsley and Bradford City.) We also have a better goal differential than anyone with a +41. Barnsley is second with a +34. With 6 games to go, our magic number is 4 more wins to secure the title or 3 wins and 1 tie.

[Eaglesfan27]

March 24, 2008 -

Collett was selected to the English League Two team of the week.

[Eaglesfan27]

March 26, 2008 -

Blacpook acquired keeper Ben Smith from Newcastle for 440,000. He is a 21 year old keeper who is well regarded in the football world. Nice acquisition for Blackpool.

[Eaglesfan27]

Mar. 28, 2008 -

Mannix partially tore knee ligaments today. The physio says that he will need about 2-3 weeks of intensive physiotherapy before he can play again.

[RPI-Fan]

Probably worth noting that the title means next to nothing here... all that counts is getting in the top 3. How far is the 4th place team?

[Barkeep49]

The title counts for money which I think could be very important to Harrogate considering their rapid ascent.

[RPI-Fan]

Originally Posted by Barkeep49

The title counts for money which I think could be very important to Harrogate considering their rapid ascent.

True... but I'd say definitely more key is promoting... didn't mean to disguard the title as totally irrelavant (though I see why my post came off that way).

[Eaglesfan27]

March 29th, 2008 -

In League 2, it appears the top 3 teams automatically are promoted to League 1, and the 4th through 7th team play a playoff to see who advance. Unless, my math is bad, since we are 15 points ahead of the 4th place team, we will secure promotion with a win tonight. This game is against Blackpool which recently made a good acquisition in keeper Ben Smith. It's unclear if Ben Smith will start tonight or the recent starter Jonathan Tuffey will get one more start while Smith becomes acclimated to the team. In either case, star right winger Richard Langley will have to play well for them to win. Theu will also be relying on star left winger Paul Edwards. Centrebacks Rob Clare and Mark McGregor are both good defendedrs. Striker Chris Greenacre has played well and leads the team with 13 (Langley is second with 12 from the right wing position)

We beat them 3-1 earlier in the year.

They are 4-7 favorites

It's raining outside with temperatures in the mid 40's.

GK: O'Connor
DL: Barnard
DC: McShane
DC: Wall
DR: Black
ML: Wright
MC: Surey (for the injured Mannix)
MR: collett
AMC: Kelly
SC: Barker (likely his last start before Smyth moves back into the lineup unless Barker plays very well)
SC: Palmer

S1: Scarsella
S2: Davies
S3: Smyth
S4: Seyi Morgan
S5: Barnett

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by Barkeep49

The title counts for money which I think could be very important to Harrogate considering their rapid ascent.

That is my biggest reason to keep pushing for the title.. I think we are about to secure promotion with our next win (as I just mentioned in the last post)

[Eaglesfan27]

15 minute mark: Surey passes to Barker who heads it to Kelly.. who heads it past the keeper.. GO... NO! Kelly is whistled for being offside.

21 minute mark: Palmer crosses to Kelly who heads it.. nice save by Ben Smith who apparently did start.

30 minute mark: Langley is tripped just outside th ebox.. he takes the free kick... he shoots from 20 yards.. O'Connor saves it.

31 minute mark: O'Connor kicks it long.. Kelly gets to it just outside the box.. Smith raced out to meet it.. he is out of position.. Kelly shoots.. lower right corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.

39 minute mark: Langley gets the ball in the box.. shoots.. O'Connor saves it with a nice dive!

Halftime: 1-0 lead for us.

71 minute mark: O'Connor saves a shot by Elding from 20 yards.

Barnett on for Wright and Smyth on for Barker as both starters are tired.

79 minute mark: Wall picks up a yellow card on a trip on Elding. I decide to sub Seyi Morgan on for Wall to give him sone rest.

81 minute mark: Barnett steals it at midfield.. passes it to Smyth.. he centers for Kelly who is just inside the box.. Kelly shoots.. lower right corner... GOAL!!!! 2-0. That is Kelly's 2nd. That is Smyth's 1st assist since coming back.

Game over. 2-0 win for us!

We outshot them 19-12 (8-4 on goal)

Collett has a 10 for form, wins MoM, 28 of 35 passes, 5 of 5 tackles, 1 of 1 headers, 1 interception, 8 runs.

Kelly had a 9 for form and had a great game once again. Smyth had an 8 for form despite only playing for 17 minutes.

I decide I will praise Collett after the match.

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by RPI-Fan

True... but I'd say definitely more key is promoting... didn't mean to disguard the title as totally irrelavant (though I see why my post came off that way).

I also agree that being promoted is important.. I think I just secured it with this win.. I'll find out in a minute. But, now we'll push for the title for the money.

[Eaglesfan27]

Mar. 29, 2008 -

Lincoln's Ryan France tore ligaments in his knee and will miss approximately a year.

Joe Barnett strained his wrist. He will miss a week.


Finally, the most important news: This win GUARANTEED promotion! We are officially promoted to English League One.

[Eaglesfan27]

Mar. 31, 2008 -

Collett made the English League Two team of the week.

Atkins, Shepherd, and Hunter's contracts will expire in 3 months.

I won't be re-signing them.

Physio James Geary's contract expires in 3 months. He has been doing a good job so I offer him a new deal at his current price of 550/week for 3 more years.

Coach Carl Wilson's contract is also expiring in 3 months. I offer him his current salary of 700/week for 3 more years.

The fans are applauding my praise of Collett to the media.

[Eaglesfan27]

April 5th, 2008 -

We are currently in 1st place by 8 points with 5 games to go. We have a chance to get up to 100 points with a few wins. 2 more wins and a tie will guarantee the title.

Today we play Grimsby on their pitch. They are currently in 15th place. Grimsby has relied extensively on Striker Adam Nowland (who has 20 goals) and he is injured for the next 3 weeks with fractured ribs. Right winger Paul Brooker is 31 but still playing very well despite starting most of their games this year. Midfielder Stacy Coldicott has also played quite well. The defense has been led by Steve Haslam. David Poole (formerly of Manchester United) has taken over as their leading scorer since Nowland's injury. Poole has 8 goals in 35 starts. Keeper Martin Morgan is above average, but he has been getting pleted with shots this year and has given up 45 goals on the year.

We beat them 2-1 earlier in the year.

We are 5-4 favorites.

It's rainy with temperatures in the high 50's today.

GK: O'Connor
DL: Barnard
DC: McShane
DC: Wall
DR: Morley
ML: Wright
MC: Surey
MR: Collett
AMC: Kelly
SC: Smyth
SC: Kennedy

S1: Scarsella
S2: Davies
S3: Mulligan
S4: Seyi Morgan
S5: Baker

[Eaglesfan27]

OOC: I'm on call tonight, and a patient just arrived. Not sure if this game will get finished or not tonight. Sorry to leave anyone hanging. /OOC.

[Eaglesfan27]

3 minute mark: Mansell passes it to Poole inside the left corner of the box.. he shoots.. upper right corner.. it's past O'Connor.. GOAL. Down 1-0.

15 minute mark: O'Connor stops a shot by Poole from 15 yards.

20 minute mark: Mansell gets it deep inside my box.. shoots.. nice save by O'Connor.

27 minute mark: Wright gets called for a trip.. he argues the call.. yellow card for Wright.

Halftime: Down 1-0.

46 minute mark: Smyth passes to Kennedy in the box.. he dribbles.. strong dribble.. shoots.. lower left corner.. it's past the keeper.. just wide.

67 minute mark: Baker on for Wright, and Mulligan on for Palmer.

71 minute mark: Mulligan gets a yellow card for diving.

Game over. 1-0 loss.

We were outshot 17-6 (3-1 on goal)

Paul MCShane won MoM, 21 of 27 passes, 9 of 9 tackles, 5 of 5 headers, 7 interceptions.

[Eaglesfan27]

April 6, 2008 -

QPR Chairman Bill Power has offered me the opportunity to take charge at Loftus Road. Bill Power indicates the team is doing very well financially, and I would have a transfer budget in the range of 3 million dollars. The wage budget is currently 220,000 dollars, and I'd be allowed to expand that signficantly. This is the most tempting offer yet, as I seriously question if Harrogate will ever have the resources to allow me to compete at League 1 level much less the Championship level. QPR is currently 10th in the Championship league. I decide that I'm going to sleep on this and tell them tomorrow. I decide to do some research and see that they have an electrifying striker in Shane Paul who is currently valued at 5.6 million dollars. They have a very good right winger in Wayne Routledge who is a skilled crosser and is currently valued at 4.2 million dollars. Michael Rowlands might be their most famous player. He has excellent skill level and he has 4 caps for the Irish National Team. They have former Arsenal keeper Stuart Taylor who is quite talented. They also 7 other guys valued at over 1 million dollars. This is going to be a tough decision. I'll definitely think this one over (although I'm most likely remain at Harrogate until I get one of my dream teams.)

[Eaglesfan27]

April 6, 2008 -

For unclear reasons, we've been losing money the last month or two, and our profit on the season is only 134,000 dollars. We currently only have 474,558 dollars in the bank. Another factor to consider in the equation. Can I take this team high enough to get that offer from one of the EPL teams that I want to join? One thing is sure, if I stay, this team really needs to win the league title for that money.

[RPI-Fan]

Routledge is class... Spurs are going end up paying L3MM+ for him in all likelihood.

Haven't heard of that Paul, guy, but if I were you, I might just take this opportunity. Don't rush, though, and keep a backup of your Harrogate team, "just in case".

Good luck!
~rpi-fan

[Barkeep49]

How are your dream job teams doing? I would think that with your record you would have a shot at one of them staying with Harrogate should a job open. This QPR job must be a very tempting one.

[Eaglesfan27]

My dream teams are all doing well except for Manchester United which is "only" 4th in the EPL and flunked out the European Championship Cup very early. However, in general, I seem to only be getting offers of jobs that are 1-2 tiers above me. That being said, IF I can somehow get Harrogate to do well in League 1, I think I might get an EPL offer, but I might really need to get them to the Championship which I honestly don't think will happen for many years. It just seems like Harrogate doesn't have the financial resources to stay competitive in League 1, but I was shocked how well we did in League 2. It's a very tough decision that I thought about at work quite a bit today (despite being sleep deprived from 35 hours of working in a row [the call last night was absolutely horrific.. my worst call in over 2 years.])

I'm going to literally sleep on it some more, and make a decision tomorrow after work I'm interested in hearing other people's thoughts.. I'm really 50/50 on it now. I don't want to change my target midstream which is why I would probably stay. Well, also I'm kind of attached to this team. Of course on the plus side of going, is that I think with a few good moves, I could get QPR promoted into the EPL next year (if I can convince some good players to stay) and use them as a stepping stone to one of my 3 dream jobs.

[Eaglesfan27]

Dola -

One other fear I have is that with me turning down all of these jobs, my ambition rating keeps dropping (but my loyalty rating has risen to an 18.) I'm afraid I might be viewed as not ambitious enough for a big job should one open up.

[SirFozzie]

I'd take the QPR job. Your leaving wouldn't screw Harrogate TOO badly (you've clinched promotion and look to take the championship.. and the new guy would have a full off season to make some moves)..

Plus you can always keep an eye on your classic Harrogate players, and QPR certainly has enough money to buy a few of em should you want

[nfg22]

Personally I like harrogate, I think this ascension is awesome. and this is a true dynasty. But QPR looks appealing. As long as you can get O'connor to QPR Ill go with the deal.

[RPI-Fan]

Yea', I think you should be able to bring in the big players, if you so choose, if you go to QPR.

[Desnudo]

You can get Harrowgate Town to the EPL, but whether it would be enjoyable once you got to the Championship level is another thing. The player pool for small clubs shrinks a lot at that point.

[Eaglesfan27]

It's been a really hard choice, but I'm going to stay at Harrogate Town and see if I can continue to get great loan players onto the team to help me continue this ascension.

There are 3 main reasons I'm doing this:

1. I thought I would get my butt kicked in League 2, but Mannix, McShane, and to a lesser degree Moore were all players willing to come join me from quality teams on long term loans. I think if I can get a couple of quality loan players to come join us again this upcoming year, I can maybe get the team promoted again. I think a key to this will be if I can keep my key current players happy with staying with the club.

2. This is probably the most important reason: I told myself and the readers of this dynasty that I was going to stick with this team until I got an offer from Chelsea, Manchester United or Arsenal, or until I was fired. I don't like changing the rules midstream of a long dynasty.

3. I really do want to see how far I can take this team until the team hits the wall. It would be amazing to me to take Harrogate to the EPL. I think I could have taken Hull there in CM 03/04, but I've never stuck with a team long enough to see if I really can do it. I may not stick with this team long enough as I will definitely leave if one of those 3 teams offers me a deal, but I might just end up taking this team all the way up the ladder. Thanks to everyone for their thoughts. Time to play some FM and see what Harrogate can do